Leave a Comment · Posted on May 24, 2023
Young Writers’ Open Mic & Barnsley Young Writers Publication Launch
Wed 12 July 2023 | 6.45pm (for 7.15pm start) to 9.30pm
Where: Barnsley Civic Theatre
Pay as you feel | minimum donation £2
Calling young people (14-25s) from across South Yorkshire! If you write poems, tell stories, compose lyrics, spit bars, or have anything else to say out loud to a supportive audience, this is an evening to celebrate your words, ideas and talents in a warm atmosphere. We’ll also be launching a publication of fiction and poetry by Barnsley Young Writers.
Open to all, both new and experienced. Reserve a definite reading slot here, or put your name down on the night (slots limited).
There will be a bar for refreshments and a small bookstall.
In Partnership with Civic Barnsley and Historic England
Big thanks to the amazing Jason White at The Civic.
Leave a Comment · Posted on May 22, 2023
Beth Davies’ debut New Poets Prize-winning pamphlet The Presence of Understanding is now available to preorder or order! from the Smith|Doorstop bookshop. One of four winning collections it will launch on Sunday 28th May at Sheaf Poetry Festival in Sheffield.
Anthony Anaxagorou said of Beth’s collection, The Pretense of Understanding – A beautifully strange and encoded book. I was particularly drawn to the tensions made between a place and a self – the longing to connect while remaining cautious as to what that connection asked for.
Beth Davies (she/her) is an emerging poet based in Sheffield. Her poetry has been published in Poetry Wales, Atrium, Rust + Moth, and Pulp Poets Press, as well as in anthologies such as Candlestick Press’ Ten Poems about Flowers and Valley Press’ Verse Matters. She won second place in the 2021 Dead Cat Poetry Prize and in the 2022 Magdalena Young Poets Prize. In addition to being a member of Hive Poetry Collective, Beth is a graduate of The Writing Squad, Durham University Slam Team, and Sheffield Young Writers.
Leave a Comment · Posted on April 4, 2023
Leave a Comment · Posted on March 28, 2023
Shaping Great Stories: from take-off to landing
A Hive Short Story Day with Dan Powell
All experience levels welcome | For young people aged 15-25
Saturday 15th April | 10.30 for 10.45 start to 4/4.15pm (refreshments & dinner break)
Cantor Building, Arundel Street, Sheffield (4 minutes from Sheffield train station)
Cost: £6 / £4.50 concessions | booking: info@hivesouthyorkshire.com
Join prize-winning writer, Dan Powell, for this playful short story writing workshop day, exploring all things narrative structure. You’ll look at a range of short fiction that uses story structure in weird and wonderful ways to get you thinking about how narratives ticks and encourage you to experiment with shaping your own stories.
Expect stimulating writing exercises and an easy-going and supportive atmosphere open to all levels and interests. Dan will also read from his own work and share tips and advice about other aspects of story writing and getting your work out there in the world.
You’ll leave the workshop with a greater understanding of how story can be shaped for maximum effect and how the ending of story should pulse right through the narrative, building like a powerful wave that sweeps the reader away with the final line.
Dan Powell is a prize-winning author of short fiction from the West Midlands. He recently completed his PhD in Creative Writing at the University of Leicester and his stories have appeared in The Salt Anthology of New Writing, New Short Stories, Unthology, The Lonely Crowd, The London Magazine, Carve, Being Dad, The End, and Best British Short Stories. His debut collection, Looking Out of Broken Windows, was shortlisted for the Scott Prize and longlisted for both the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award and the Edge Hill Prize. Most recently, his short story ‘Half-mown Lawn’ was performed as part of a Best British Short Stories Word Theatre event. Dan also runs writing workshops in festivals, schools and universities and is a First Story writer-in-residence in the East Midlands. He can be found online at danpowellfiction.com and on Twitter as @danpowfiction.
Leave a Comment · Posted on March 27, 2023
Lots of great things have been happening via Barnsley Young Writers recently so we wanted to blow a trumpet for them!
In March, current and former Barnsley Young Writers members Becca Green, Ben Whiston, Brooke Lees, Chloe Pearson, Elliot Blades, Kes, Izzy Whiston and Sofie Stothers, had their work selected to be published in the Teenage Wildlife magazine. Teenage Wildlife, managed by Barnsley Civic and funded by Historic England, is a project exploring 70 years of youth culture and teenage experience in the Eldon Street area of Barnsley. In May, Barnsley Young Writers will publish their first chapbook as part of the project.
In February BYW Sofie Stothers and Elliot Blades had their poems The Journey and My Mother’s Daughter selected to be included in an LGBTQ+ History Month exhibition, exploring Barnsley LGBTQ+ youth culture.
BYW member Charlotte Pearce has her poem Delicate published in Barnsley Civic’s Spring season guide. Delicate was inspired by circus theatre company Extraordinary Bodies who create unique and magical spaces where diverse bodies are embraced, boundaries are broken, and inclusivity is championed.
Barnsley Civic and Hive South Yorkshire are proud to announce that Creative Minds are supporting Barnsley Young Writers with funding into autumn. Their support, plus the continued support of Barnsley Civic means that the group will continue to thrive throughout 2023. Creative Minds is a charity hosted by Southwest Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, which integrates creativity and the arts into mainstream health and wellbeing practice.
Jason White, Barnsley Civic’s Community Engagement Coordinator says, “Since relaunching Barnsley Young Writers in February 2022 at the Civic, the group has achieved great things. In the summer, they enjoyed a trip to the Hive Open Mic & book launch event at Sheffield Leadmill, and many performed. Since then a number of individual members have had their work selected to be displayed or published online and in print. I’m proud of Barnsley Civic’s continued work with Hive South Yorkshire and feel that Barnsley Young Writers really sets a precedent in Barnsley for how to engage with young people and create opportunities that are especially meaningful to young people articulating and share their lived experience. I’m especially proud the group has become a safe space for LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent young people.”
Leave a Comment · Posted on February 18, 2023
Writing can be a solitary and tricky business to navigate, whether you’re starting out or have been at it a while. It’s difficult to know where to get feedback, or if what you’re writing is as good as it can be. And then there’s what to do with a piece of work once you’ve finished it.
If you’re an aspiring or emerging short story writer, or novelist, keen to refresh or develop your skills, Hive is running an online fiction programme on Thursday evenings from 13th April with the brilliant novelist, short story writer and poet, Rachel Bower. The programme will offer a supportive and immersive set of six evening Zoom workshops and individual feedback support to inspire and guide you to getting where you want to go with your writing.
“An abundance of sources, advice and support.” Feedback from a participant on Rachel’s last fiction programme
Join award-winning fiction writer Rachel Bower, for all things furthering your fiction, and:
The programme is for new, aspiring and emerging young fiction writers aged 17 to 30. As the programme is on Zoom, it’s open to writers from across the north and midlands who would like to develop their writing further. Both those who’ve done fiction workshops or courses before and those completely new to them are welcome to apply. We’re also keen to hear from people who feel like they wouldn’t normally be able to access this kind of opportunity.
Whatever stage you’re at, you might lack direction, sticking power or confidence. You might have a project you want inspiration to get stuck into, or to sharpen your skills and hone your work, or you might simply want a regular reason to write and connect with other young writers. All levels, genres and interests welcome.
Expect a warm, inclusive and supportive group with a wonderful writer and mentor.
Thursday evenings 6-8pm on Zoom from 13th April 2023.
The programme is subsidised by Hive South Yorkshire meaning a cost of just £75 for six sessions, an edit surgery and one-to-one feedback. Programmes like this normally cost upwards of £300 but this Hive fiction programme is heavily subsidised as a way to reach new and emerging young writers and remove barriers to developing as a writer. If cost is still a barrier, please see below bursary discounts available.
Bursary discount places
If the cost of the programme is a barrier to attending, we have a number of bursary places available discounting the programme to £45. Please write ‘bursary discount’ on your application if this applies to you. You won’t be penalised for being unable to afford the full fee.
Send (in one Word or .rtf document) of up to 3xA4 pages of work (but no pressure if you don’t have much to send), followed by up to 350 words about yourself and your writing interests. You can include: where you are with your writing and any input you’ve had with it, why you’re applying for this programme, and how you think it would be of help.
Please also send: Your age, date of birth, telephone number, address (term or home), and anything else you might want to tell us by midnight 31st March to fiction@hivesouthyorkshire.com [Note places will be limited to ensure a supportive programme]
Rachel Bower is an award-winning writer based in Sheffield. She is the author of two poetry collections and a book on literary letters. Her stories and poems have been widely published in literary magazines, including The London Magazine, The White Review, Magma, Stand and Frontier. She won The London Magazine Short Story Prize 2019/20 and the W&A Short Story Competition 2020. She has also been listed for the White Review Short Story Prize 2019, the RSL V.S. Pritchett Short Story Prize and the BBC Short Story Prize. Rachel is a qualified community development worker and has over ten years’ experience running workshops with a wide range of people and organisations.
Feedback from Rachel’s last Hive fiction course:
“Incredibly useful and helped me to make sure I prioritised writing. Really nice to meet some fellow writers and know I’ll be seeing them each week. Rachel’s prompts and advice were really refreshing and supportive! Thank you.”
“Rachel was so accommodating to everybody’s needs, rearranging sessions if we needed to and including session outlines in the chat, we really couldn’t have asked for anymore.”
“Thank you, Rachel! this has been great and another really great first steps for me! it’s been nice to have something to show up for every week!”
“Thank you SO much Rachel this has been a wonderful course! Feeling inspired and looking forward to keeping in touch :)”
“Thank you so much Rachel and everyone else, my confidence has grown so much! I’ve written more in these last few weeks than in a long time. Definitely hope we can keep writing together!”